Party Banter
by Sathaeri
Summary: Just a little take on what really happens when you're not in dungeons beheading reanimated corpses or in the forest fighting living trees. Ch7: Leliana finds out it's a very special day! Plus the Warden decides to try Wynne's suggestion... Complete!
1. After Lothering

_**A/N:** Hi everyone! Sathaeri here! This is my first fanfic, so be nice! Eh heh. Reviews welcomed with open arms :D_

_I wrote this while wondering what companions say to each other when you're not around or traveling. So, here it is. __It's also an attempt to answer "why are there a bunch of tents set up in camp but you're sleeping outside anyway?"_

_Have fun reading and enjoy :)_

**~o~O~o~**

**Chapter 1: After Lothering**

"I'm sooo tired," Aetheria complained, her words beginning to slur. "I... feel... like I... can't... take... another step..." She yawned.

"And yet, here you are," Alistair joked.

Aetheria mumbled in reply and subsequently tripped on a rock. She yelped softly.

"Woah, woah!" Alistair caught her before she hit the dirt path.

"Camp..." she murmured.

"Very well, Lady Nobility," he teased. Turning to the others, he said "We'd best find a place to set up camp."

"Food..." Aetheria said feebly, fighting exhaustion.

"Hmm...? Oh, right! We'll need a hunting party, too."

"I'll help!" sang Leliana. "But somebody has to come with me."

Alistair grinned, an idea unraveling in his mind. "Go with her, Morrigan."

"And here I thought you hated leading," Morrigan remarked, glaring. "What does our real leader have to say about this?"

Aetheria muttered incoherently. Alistair sighed. "She's too tired," he said. "She's not even making any sense."

"Ahh," she smirked. "Even her mumblings are too complicated for you to understand?"

Leliana stifled a giggle. "Oh, come on," she said. "Let us go, Morrigan. I promise I won't chant your ear off."

Morrigan scoffed, but relented and walked into the woods with Leliana at her side. Alistair smiled, happy to be away from her.

"We should set up camp here," Sten's voice boomed suddenly, making him jump.

"Oh! Yes, that would be important, wouldn't it?" Alistair chuckled.

Sten simply grumbled in reply and walked towards the clearing. Alistair looked down. He'd almost forgotten that he was still holding Aetheria.

"Um... hello?" he said gingerly. "Err... Aetheria? Can you... uh, stand up, maybe? Or walk over there?" _No use_, he realized. She was fast asleep.

He looped one arm under her legs and lifted her back with the other. Grunting from the effort, he called, "Sten, lay down one of those bedrolls."

Sten did silently but not without some hesitation. _Probably wondering if I'm an able enough leader_, he thought. _I am... I think_.

He bent down to lay her on the bedroll. She was out cold. _Not that I blame her_, he thought to himself. _She's had a long day, after all_.

He lifted the covers and placed them on her gently. He was almost tempted to give her a good night kiss. But then he realized he barely knew her. It wouldn't be that gentlemanly to do that, would it?

**~o~O~o~**

"...and the shoes here! Ugh! So shapeless," Leliana went on.

Morrigan could hardly take it. What sort of fool would have her, a... what was it again... an apostate, travel with this former Chantry lay sister? _Only a fool such as Alistair_, she thought. No doubt he came up with this just to irk her.

A sudden movement stopped her in her tracks. "Quiet," she interrupted, cutting off Leliana's shoe rant and pointing. "Deer."

Leliana drew an arrow from her quiver and nocked it, pulling the bowstring back slowly.

The deer looked up.

As soon as it did, the arrow was gone. Morrigan shifted her gaze back to the deer. It was on the ground in a heap. She walked up to it. Its eyes were glazed over, as was natural.

"Wow. That was right on target," Leliana remarked, coming up behind Morrigan and motioning towards the arrow that protruded out of the deer's neck.

Morrigan didn't want to admit it, but she was a little impressed. So this Leliana person wasn't as completely useless as she thought. "This will be enough," she stated. "Let us take it back."

As they walked, Leliana said "So, I noticed you and Alistair don't get along very well..."

"You just noticed?" Morrigan retorted, raising an eyebrow.

"No, well, I noticed when I first met you three," she corrected. "Why do you hate him so much?"

"There are many reasons, some of which you wouldn't understand," Morrigan said tensely. "But I will make this short. First, he is suspicious and dim-witted. He also isn't open-minded, and he constantly whines. In addition, he hates me. Is it understandable, then, that I hate him as well?"

"I... suppose so," said Leliana, taken aback by so many harsh words.

"Then I assume we are clear on that," she said.

They walked the rest of the way in silence. When they arrived at camp, Leliana giggled. "Aww, look at him!"

Alistair sat next to Aetheria, who was lying on a bedroll. He gazed at her, entranced. "It's unmistakable, the love in his eyes," Leliana said, chuckling. "He must have a crush on her."

"Oh, wonderful," Morrigan sighed. "We already have fools, now we have lovebirds?"

"It's sweet."

"'Tis sickening."

"Oh, no one said you had to look."

"I'm simply glad they aren't swallowing up each other's faces," she said disgustedly. She went up behind Alistair and hauled the deer on top of him.

He shouted in surprised and threw the deer off. Spinning around to face Morrigan, he growled, "What was that for?"

"Oh, nothing," she answered in an innocent voice. "Just reminding you not to get caught up in her beauty."

Alistair felt his cheeks turn red. Morrigan laughed wickedly. "'Tis a shame you didn't wake her up. I would love to see her reaction to how... intensely you were staring at her."

"I wasn't staring!" Alistair protested, but it was of no use. If he really had been staring at her intently for however long it took Morrigan and Leliana to find a large deer, kill it, and bring it back, then Maker forbid, he must have been staring for a long time. He looked away from Morrigan's narrow amber eyes, frowning.

"Now then," Leliana said, breaking the silence. "Can you cook, Alistair? I'm starving."

He got up, thankful for something to do. He wouldn't get caught staring at her like that again, he told himself. At least, if no one was looking, he wouldn't.


	2. Heading Back to Redcliffe

_**A/N:** Hullo again! It's chapter 2! Hopefully it's obvious when this takes place..._

_Reviews are appreciated, as always XD_

**~o~O~o~**

**Chapter 2: Heading Back to Redcliffe**

"I sure am glad to be out of there," Aetheria said exasperatedly.

"Why?" asked Wynne, the newest member of their growing party. "You don't like the Circle Tower?"

"You know, maybe it had something to do with all those abominations," suggested Alistair. "Or, you know, the fleshy pods on the walls. Or the crazy demons."

Wynne chuckled. "I suppose you're right. Uldred did absolutely nothing to put the tower in a better light."

"It was all that," Aetheria said, "but mostly the Fade. You don't know how much trouble I had to go through just to get us out of there."

"The Fade is quite a disorienting place, if you're not used to navigating it consciously," stated Wynne. "Most people aren't, considering the fact that most people aren't mages."

"I found it extremely aggravating," Morrigan said. "The demon attempted to imitate my mother, and did a terrible job."

"Either way," said Aetheria, "I'm just glad to be out of there. We should set up camp soon, as well."

"Right," Alistair agreed. "Who's hunting today?"

At the mention of that, most party members looked away, hoping not to be chosen. Aetheria knew what this meant. It was a sign on exhaustion. "I will," she said. "It looks like you all could use some rest."

Leliana and Wynne shot her grateful glances. Sten stared straight ahead, as always, and Morrigan appeared slightly less stressed. Alistair looked at her and cocked his head to one side. "Are you sure?" he asked. "I can come with you. If you want," he added hastily.

"It's fine," she answered. "I'll have Soren come with me." The mabari barked happily at the sound of his name.

"Well, alright," he said. "If you're sure..."

**~o~O~o~**

After she had left with Soren, Alistair went into his tent. He moved to the far end and picked up the vase that held the rose. It was still alive, miraculously, after all this time. Its petals were still as silky as they were when he first picked it, and it smelled sweet, but he could see the crippling brown smudges at the edges. If he didn't want it to die... well, he could have it enchanted, but what would people think of him then? Some silly young man, wanting to preserve a beautiful flower that was saved from the darkspawn but whose nature demanded that it rot anyhow?

He shook his head. It reminded him of her. She was saved by Flemeth, but the taint still coursed through her veins. He knew they would both die young, just like flowers did. Just like the rose...

A call broke through his train of thought. "Alistair!"

He quickly placed the rose back and exited his tent. "What?" he asked Wynne.

"There you are!" she exclaimed sternly. "What's this?"

He followed her pointing finger to a small, dirty rag on the ground outside the tent. "Oh, that? That's just a shirt I was wearing..."

"When did you last wear it?" Wynne asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I... huh. I don't know," he admitted.

"You don't know?" she fumed, then sighed and placed her hand on her forehead in exasperation. "Haven't you at least washed it?"

"Well, I tried, but then I was attacked by a rabid squirrel," he joked.

Wynne sighed again. "Well... why don't you go clean it," she said wearily. "The shirt you're wearing now is bad enough."

"Oh, this shirt?" Alistair pointed at the ragged, thin cloth that was his excuse for a shirt. "Actually, this isn't bad at all compared to-"

"Never mind!" Wynne interrupted, turning around. "If that shirt's filthy then I don't want to know what could possibly be worse."

Alistair did a cheeky grin and picked up the rag. He heard Leliana giggle and saw Sten frown in disapproval as he walked to the lake to wash the shirt.

At the water's edge, he sat on the grassy bank and gazed at the reflection of the moon and the tower. He almost couldn't believe they'd gotten through that whole thing when it was full of abominations and demons. Even his time as a templar-in-training did nothing to keep him from feeling fear in the face of a demon.

Suddenly he found himself toppled over by a large creature. It licked his face and barked happily. He struggled for a moment before he realized it was a hound. A mabari hound.

"What is it? What did you find?" Alistair heard Aetheria's voice from the dense forest behind him. "It's... oh. It's Alistair," she said, coming to a halt at the small clearing. He felt a little thrill when she said his name.

"Yes," Alistair responded with some difficulty under the weight of the dog. "Um... maybe you could, you know, help me out?"

"Oh, right!" Aetheria clapped her hands. "Here, Soren!"

The mabari pushed off his chest as he bounded towards his mistress. It left Alistair out of breath. He continued to lie there as he listened to her praise her faithful hound.

Eventually she came to sit next to him. Looking down at him, she asked, "Are you alright?"

"Hmm?"

She laughed. It was music to his ears. "It isn't a hard question to answer."

"Heh," he chuckled, feeling his face flush. "Yeah, I'm okay." He sat up and looked in her eyes.

She met them and then shifted her gaze to the bright lavender moon. Strange. She could stare a demon down if she wanted, but she had looked away from him.

"Something on your mind?" he asked, trying not to sound nervous.

She glanced at him quickly. "Huh? Oh, nothing. I just like the moon is all." She stood up. "Well, I hate to bother you, but I need some help bringing back our catch."

"No problem," he assured her, standing up. Soren ran over and picked up the rag he'd been washing in his teeth.

"What's that?" Aetheria asked, puzzled.

"Oh, that? That's my shirt."

Aetheria laughed again. It made him smile to know he made her happy. "When we reach that town we passed on our way here, I'll see if I can buy you a new one."

Alistair was slightly taken aback. "Really?" he said. "Why?"

"Because you'll need it," she answered, grinning, and ran back into the forest, Soren at her heels.

He stood there for a while, facing the direction she'd run off to. He didn't know how he felt, exactly, but he knew he was starting to care for her more than a brother ever could.

**~o~O~o~**

Behind a rock, Leliana giggled.

"Shh!" Wynne whispered fiercely. "He might see us!"

"He won't," the bard replied. "He's too blinded by love." They both chuckled.

"I hope he can figure this out on his own," said Wynne. "I would hate to see him get hurt."

"Ohh, they'd be a lovely couple," Leliana mused.

They watched as Alistair slowly bent down to pick up the ragged shirt. He looked at it, lost in thoughts.

"Alistair!" A voice called out from the darkness. "Are you helping or not?"

"Huh? Oh, uh, yeah! I'll be right there!" He stopped at the edge of the forest and took a deep breath. "Okay!" he yelled. "I'm coming!" He plunged into the blackness.

Leliana stood up, stretching her legs. Wynne did, as well. "I feel bad for spying on them," the healer said.

"We weren't spying," Leliana protested. "We were... keeping an eye on them!"

Wynne sighed. "At least dirty, ragged shirts will be the least of our problems."


	3. To Denerim!

_**A/N:** Updates might come more slowly now, as I'm working on a new story. But either way, I hope you're enjoying what there is so far!_

_Anyway, in terms of the game, they've finished "Broken Circle" and "The Arl of Redcliffe" up to getting the quest "The Urn of Sacred Ashes." It should be obvious where they're going now... (especially with the chapter title)_

_And before I forget, I don't own Dragon Age or related characters. I just love them very much._

**~o~O~o~**

**Chapter 3: To Denerim!**

"I beg your pardon? She looks what?"

"Sad."

"What makes you say that?"

"Her eyes."

Leliana raised an eyebrow. Sten stared back with the same nonchalant expression he always had. "Could you... explain, perhaps?" she asked. "I don't quite understand your meaning."

"Look at her face when she smiles," said the qunari. "Compare it to her face when she is normal. Her eyes are sad."

Leliana craned her neck to see if she could see her leader's face. No luck there. She was walking in front of the party.

"You'll have to remind me about this later," she said. "Maybe when we take another break."

Sten didn't answer. She looked up at him. He was looking at the same road sign Aetheria was currently inspecting. But if he was standing still, then-

"Ow!" Morrigan spun around, glaring. "Do you even pay attention to where you're going?"

"Sorry," Leliana said in a strained tone. Morrigan never seemed to be nice to her. Maybe it had something to do with the Chantry and the Maker and how she was a lay sister when they accepted her help.

Morrigan scoffed and turned back around. Leliana looked over her shoulder at the sign. "Ugh. I can barely read this!" she heard Aetheria say.

"Let me look," said Alistair. Leliana smiled to herself. He never left her side anymore, it seemed. But even with two heads working together, they couldn't figure out the road sign.

She made her way through the small group, almost tripping over the dog. He barked. "Oops! Sorry!" She finally reached the two in front. "May I have a look?" she asked sweetly.

Aetheria turned to her and smiled. "Of course," she said. Leliana looked at her eyes. They were bright and green, as they usually were. She turned to the sign.

It was badly scratched by both nature and mischief. A pair of lovers had even carved their initials into the weathering wood. There were arrows and words, but the majority of the letters were missing or scratched out.

"Perhaps I may help as well?" came the new elf's voice, dripping with his Antivan accent.

"Go ahead," she said. He slided up beside her.

"We are going to Denerim, no?" he asked, after dusting off the sign. "In that case, we may want to take a left here, since this arrow points left and has a D and 'eri' on it."

"Don't we have a map?" Wynne piped up.

Aetheria smiled sheepishly. "I... lost it."

"You lost it? How?" Alistair asked.

"It kind of blew away." She shrugged. "I'm going to buy another one. Anyway, we'll just take our chances and go left here."

Leliana looked into her eyes, trying to see the sadness Sten had mentioned. No luck just yet. They trudged forward.

**~o~O~o~**

"Not so rare, actually. I have five copies!" Aetheria laughed.

"Ah, the wonders of this all-too-small a land never cease, do they?" said the con artist. "Well, they will for you. Get them!"

The battle broke out instantly. Alistair remembered what she told him to do - enemy spellcasters die first. He ran up the hill and stabbed the mage. A bolt of energy from Morrigan hit the man at the same time. In the next moment, he struggled to pull his sword out of the mage's body.

Wynne casted her healing spells, saving Morrigan, but they were surrounded. She concentrated and felt the sparks of electricity run through her staff, releasing itself in a cone. Several of the assailants fell. She felt a surge of triumph, something she hadn't experienced in a while.

Aetheria felled the last of the enemies with a wide arc of her sword and dagger. She breathed heavily. "Wow..." she said. "That was fun."

"Tell me about it," Alistair said, covered in blood.

"Let's at least wash up before moving on," she suggested, then turned and walked to the water with the party following.

Alistair looked at the lake. It was mesmerizing, especially when it reflected the sun's rays and the puffed clouds in the sky.

A voice cut into his daze. "It's a good time," Wynne whispered.

She was right. The light was soft. Leaves fell gracefully around them. It was about as perfect as it was ever going to be. For this, anyway.

He splashed his face with water and dried with his towel. When he stood up, he saw Aetheria looking at the lake and surrounding area. She looked content. He didn't want to snap her out of it; he loved seeing her happy. But it was now or never.

He glanced back at Wynne. She gave him a wink.

Turning back to Aetheria, he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Can I ask you something?" he asked uncertainly.

"Of course," she said, turning to face him.

Alistair swallowed. "So, all this time we've spent together..."

**~o~O~o~**

"He's really going to do it, is he? Hmm. I didn't think he had the nerve." Morrigan crossed her arms.

"He did need some coaxing," Wynne admitted, chuckling.

They watched as he ran his hands through his hair and told Aetheria how he felt. He smiled shyly and asked her if she felt the same.

Morrigan stifled a laugh. Wynne glanced at her. "I thought this sort of thing made you nauseous."

"It does," she answered. "I was just imagining what would happen if she said she didn't."

Wynne sighed and turned her gaze back on Alistair.

"So I fooled you, did I?" he asked, stepping closer to Aetheria. He placed one hand on her face. "Good to know." He leaned in and kissed her lips.

Wynne saw her expression. She was surprised and blinked a couple times. Then her eyes softened and closed, and she put her hand on the back of his head, drawing him closer. It gave Wynne a warm feeling, and yet another feeling told her that this wouldn't bode well for either of them in the face of sacrifice.

Morrigan turned away, hiding her disgusted expression. She knew Aetheria was beautiful, but she felt no competition with her; she could have all the Alistair she wanted and Morrigan wouldn't feel jealous of it at all. But despite this, she found herself a little envious. She had found happiness with him, and the rest of them were not a part of that.

**~o~O~o~**

Alistair drew back, taking a breath. "That..." He swallowed again. "That wasn't too soon, was it?" He looked at her. A tinge of rosy pink bloomed on her cheeks, and her hand was on her mouth, as if she was thinking. She looked up at him with surprised green eyes.

_Uh oh_, Alistair thought. _Please say it wasn't too soon, pleeeaaase..._

She giggled. "No, not really. I liked it." She smiled and the pink revealed itself more.

Alistair sighed in relief. "Good. I'll take that as a good sign." He touched her face. "Maker's breath, but you're beautiful..."

Morrigan coughed.

_**A/N:** I know that's a silly way to end the story but bear with me ;_; __REVIEW!_


	4. I Love You

_**A/N: **Ahh, romance. It's just so cute in this game. Then you realize that in real life it'd be so cheesy..._

_I'm sorry that this chapter's title is so lame... -_-" AAAHH FORGIVE MEEE! *runs away*_

_I figured I haven't spent much time with Zevran, so much of this chapter is in his view. Enjoy! And review. PLEASE._

**~o~O~o~**

**Chapter 4: I Love You**

Zevran stopped at the edge of camp and observed everyone from the shadows. Leliana was plucking a few notes on her lute, singing a pretty melody. Sten was walking around, like he usually was. Wynne sat next to the fire reading a book. Soren curled up next to Alistair, who was digging utensils out of his pack. Morrigan and Aetheria were out hunting.

He sighed and leaned back on the tree behind him. Somehow he felt he didn't belong. There were only humans here (and one qunari - but he felt that he probably shouldn't get in his way), and though their leader had accepted him, he knew he was still under watchful eyes. None of the others had openly approved of his coming along, and their disapproval made them constantly aware of where he was. That's why he was in the shadows, hoping for some respite before he trudged back into camp.

He pulled himself up on a strong branch and sat there, his legs dangling. There was something a little bit off here, but he couldn't figure it out. Zevran absentmindedly stroked the tattoo on his face. Perhaps it was the fact that two of the four women in the party were not in camp. Two of the four beautiful women. He chuckled. Aetheria, Morrigan, and Leliana were all young, their beauty in full bloom. Even Wynne was quite attractive, despite her age. She had an extraordinary bosom...

Voices broke him out of his daydream. Aetheria and Morrigan walked into camp, each holding two rabbits. Alistair greeted them and they sat down to begin skinning the animals. Aetheria sat between her two companions. _Probably to prevent any unnecessary squabbles_, Zevran thought.

He considered helping them, but then he remembered his status in the party. Untrusted. He stayed in the shadows, seemingly forgotten.

**~o~O~o~**

"Are you hungry?" Leliana asked Aetheria.

"I'm starving," she answered, hearing her stomach growl. "I blame it on being a Grey Warden." She turned to Alistair. "Is it ready yet?"

"Not yet," he said. "Just a little longer, I promise." He smiled at her warmly and poked at the rabbit cooking over the fire.

"Greetings, fellow companions!" Zevran said cheerfully, coming up behind them and placing his hands on their shoulders.

"Oh, hello! Zevran, right?" Leliana asked.

"That's right!" He smiled. "The one and only."

"Hi," Aetheria said, sounding uncomfortable.

"What's the matter?" he said.

"I'm hungry, of course."

"We all are," Wynne said, closing her book and giving a small smile.

"Well, you won't have to wait much longer," Alistair announced. "It's done!"

"Finally," Aetheria muttered.

**~o~O~o~**

Zevran leaned back casually, putting his elbows on the tree stump behind him. The women had all gone to wash up, leaving two other men and a dog in the camp. Well, maybe just one man, he thought. This Alistair person might qualify better as a boy.

He glanced over at the templar. He was walking around uneasily, constantly looking back at the path into camp. _Is he expecting something?_ Zevran wondered. _Perhaps now might be a good time to gain some of his trust._ He nodded to himself. _Yes, a man-to-man talk! That would really boost his confidence._ Like the rest of the party members, he knew of his little infatuation with their leader.

Zevran got up and walked towards him. "Alistair," he said.

Alistair looked up, surprised. "Oh, it's just you," he said. "Yes, what is it?"

"You seem a bit nervous," Zevran said. "Is there something you're expecting?"

"Umm... well, yes. Kind of, maybe." He smoothed out his hair. "Wait a minute," he said suddenly, narrowing his eyes. "Why would you want to know?"

"Truthfully?" Zevran said. "I want to help you. It's quite apparent that you have a... thing for your fellow Grey Warden."

Alistair felt his cheeks grow hot. "I... it's that obvious?" he asked hesitantly.

"A bit, but not to worry, my friend," said Zevran, patting him on the arm. "But that's beside the point. I am here to tell you that I can help you with whatever dilemmas you have about women."

Alistair rubbed his face. "Okay, I'm going to talk to you, but you can't tell anyone what I've said. Okay?"

Zevran stood up straight and saluted. "Yes, ser!" he said enthusiastically.

"Alright, I... I'm not entirely sure, but I think I love her." He looked to the side.

"How are you not sure?" asked Zevran.

"I'm not done yet," he said. "I... want to... oh, why am I telling you this?"

"You want to sleep with her?" Zevran ventured. "I'm actually surprised you haven't done so already."

Alistair's face became flushed. "Is that right?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, we've only known each other for about five or six months..."

Zevran chuckled. "My friend, I've known people for shorter than that and still slept with them."

Alistair sighed. "How am I going to do this?" he asked. "I honestly have no idea."

"I suppose I can spare some tips for a rookie," Zevran said. "The best thing for you to do is to tell her how you feel, of course. And if she says she feels the same, then ask her. It's quite simple."

"Wait, what? Ask her if I can... sleep with her?" Alistair frowned. "Isn't there a better way to say it?"

"Perhaps you'd rather say 'I ardently desire you and-'"

"Never mind!" he interrupted. "I'll figure it out. They're coming, anyhow."

"Well then," Zevran said, "I wish you luck!"

Alistair stood beside the path, waiting for Aetheria. "Thanks," he said. _I'm really going to need it..._

**~o~O~o~**

Zevran watched them with interest, peeking out through a small hole in his tent. Alistair had waited for everyone to go into their tents before talking to her. Now he was confessing.

"...Here's the thing," Zevran heard him say. "Being near you makes me _crazy_." He looked into the fire. "But I can't imagine being without you. Not ever." He turned back to face her. She was smiling, and said something Zevran couldn't quite catch.

"I don't know how else to say it," said Alistair. "I... I want to spend the night with you." Her eyes widened slightly in surprise.

They talked some more. Zevran let his eyes wander. That was Wynne's tent, and that was Sten's tent, he remembered. His eyes flickered to Leliana's tent. It was all still... but wait - what was that? He squinted. He was sure he saw movement. Could she be awake?

"Very well," he heard Aetheria say. "If that's what you really want..."

"I think so," said Alistair. "I hope so."

He took her hand and leaned in slowly, warmth in his eyes. Their lips touched and they kissed each other deeply. Zevran grinned in spite of himself. Ah, love. What a beautiful thing...

Aetheria pulled Alistair into the cover of the trees. Zevran felt tempted to follow them, but stopped, remembering how untrusted he was again. After they'd disappeared, he snuck out of his tent and sat next to the remains of the fire.

After a while, he turned and looked at Leliana's tent. A small gasp betrayed her. "Leliana," Zevran said quietly.

She exited the tent and smiled sheepishly. "So, you were watching them too?"

Zevran chuckled. "What can I say? I'm the sneaky sort."

"I spoke to Aetheria about him," she said, staring at the embers.

"Oh?" Zevran said, amused. "What about him, exactly?"

"The way he acts around her, of course," she giggled. "What else?"

He grinned. "It just so happens that while you were away, I spoke to him about her."

Leliana's eyes widened. "Really? What about her?"

"I think you know what they're doing now," Zevran answered. "It was about that."

"Ohh," she laughed softly. "It seems like you'd be inclined to follow."

"Yes, but if I did, they'd never trust me."

She smiled. "Good thinking. Trust is important."

Zevran stood up and yawned. "Well, we won't be getting anywhere if we just sit here all night, yes?"

"Oh, right! We've got work to do tomorrow..." Leliana gave him a small smile. "It was nice to talk to you. Maybe we could gossip like this more." She giggled. "Oh, I love gossip."

"Perhaps," he replied, grinning back.

"Good night!" She slipped back into her tent.

Zevran sighed by the ashen remains of their campfire, relief flooding through him. Maybe he could win their trust after all.


	5. In The Frosty Frostbacks

_**A/N:**__ Aetheria and I share an erratic fear of spiders. Don't you think they're creepy? *shivers* ugh..._

_Admittedly, this is kind of a fluffy chapter. But you know these nonchalant people. They always have some hidden fluff somewhere XD_

**~o~O~o~**

**Chapter 5: In The Frosty Frostbacks**

Aetheria shrieked and sliced her sword through the giant spider. It hissed and curled up as it died, its legs twisting together. Aetheria whimpered and jumped back.

Sten snorted. She could face abominations, undead, and _darkspawn_ without faltering. And something as lowly as a spider made her afraid? "Almost pitiful," he muttered under his breath. She clearly had no place here.

"That's it!" She sheathed her sword and dagger. "I hate this place! I want to get out of here, now!" Her voice was shrill with fear. _This is ridiculous_, Sten thought.

"Okay, well, once we get out of the mountains, we'll set up camp," Alistair assured her.

"Not soon enough," she muttered, trudging forward through the thick layer of snow.

Sten sighed and followed. They were traveling down the mountain range, heading back east into mainland Ferelden towards Redcliffe. They had managed to find some ash - _as if that is really necessary_, he thought. He had voiced his disapproval once they'd arrived in Haven, a small village that wasn't even on their map to begin with. He didn't see much point in going there, especially if all they were searching for was a waste bin with the blackened remains of some woman. But somehow Aetheria had managed to convince him that this was what they had to do, to gain allies against the Blight. She'd tried to explain it, but ultimately failed and gave up. He still found it hard to believe that she was fit to be in battle, but she did fight bravely. Unless, of course, her enemy was a giant spider.

Eventually, the frost on the ground became less and less frequent, and finally they reached land undampened by snow. Arriving at a clearing suitable for camp, Aetheria began issuing orders. "Sten, we'll need firewood," she told him.

Sten merely grunted in reply and hoisted the axe over his shoulder. He walked over to a fallen tree they'd passed earlier and began to chop.

She continued. "Alistair."

"Yes!" Alistair came up to her eagerly, like a puppy.

"You're hunting. With Morrigan."

He could barely believe his ears. "What, are you crazy? You want me to hunt with _Morrigan?_ Did that spider do something to you?"

Aetheria shudded. "Don't mention the spiders," she growled.

**~o~O~o~**

Alistair and Morrigan walked in silence. Neither of them had anything to say, really. But what was she thinking, sending them to hunt together? She knew very well their aversion to each other, but apparently they were "crucial" to her team and unless they learned to at least work together a little, they would, according to her, "all fail and _die_." The silence continued until Morrigan began to think about his relationship with their leader. She didn't know much about love, nor did she really want to, but she had learned a few things by observing him.

"Why are you accompanying me, Alistair?" she asked innocently.

"Why else?" he grumbled. "Because Aetheria told me to. And she's our leader, if you didn't notice."

"And you'd do anything for her in a heartbeat, wouldn't you?"

Alistair raised an eyebrow. "Where is this conversation going?"

"I'm just attempting to comprehend your love for her," she said. "Is it possible that such a love could make you do very stupid things?"

"I'm _not_ stupid," said Alistair gruffly, "and I definitely try not to be stupid in front of her."

"'Twould seem that you need to try harder," Morrigan said, grinning.

"What makes you say that?"

"Every single time you look at her, whether a glance or a stare, you look even more moronic than you usually do."

Alistair glared. "I don't want to talk to you anymore."

"Unfortunately, communication is vital when working together," she replied. "Especially when one works with someone as idiotic as you."

"I... leave me alone." He walked ahead of her. _Great idea_, he thought, _having us "work together."_ This was hardly working at all.

A small flash of light from behind shocked him for a second. When he turned, he saw a large, fearsome wolf staring back at him. He tensed and was about to draw his sword when he recognized those bright amber eyes. It growled, eyes shining. Alistair flinched reflexively. He figured she'd probably double over laughing if she could, and it did make him angry, but he shrugged it off. At least she couldn't add insult to injury as a wolf.

She darted into the trees. Alistair heard a struggle ensue, and he was tempted to stay back just to let Morrigan know how hard it was on her own. But sense got the better of him; after all, Aetheria had sent them to work jointly, and he couldn't let her down. Morrigan was right for once, he thought as he dashed towards the struggle, sword at the ready. _I'd do anything for her._

**~o~O~o~**

Morrigan glanced at their fire again. They all looked so happy, so content. She desperately wanted to join them, but she couldn't face it. Alistair would probably attempt to poke fun at her, Leliana and Zevran would ask her questions, and... well, she'd have to talk. And she didn't want to talk.

Her gaze flitted to each party member. Leliana was speaking and gesturing with what seemed like unlimited energy. Sten sat silently on a tree stump with his elbows on his knees, listening to Leliana's tale. Zevran sat next to him, smiling, but whether or not it was about the story Morrigan did not know. She wouldn't be surprised if it was about something else entirely.

Wynne had her head rested in her palm. Alistair was, of course, sitting with Aetheria. He had an arm around her shoulder, and occasionally he'd look at her. And every time he did, he got that same dumbfounded look in his eyes. Morrigan scoffed, shook her head, and tended to her own fire.

Her stomach growled. She realized with a start that she hadn't taken any meat for herself._ I must have been too busy setting up my own tent_, she thought. Now she'd have to go get food from - ugh - Alistair. She nearly shuddered from the thought.

Gingerly she stood up. _Show no fear_, she told herself. _Show no more hesitation_. This was the attitude that got her past many obstacles before; surely it could not fail her now.

She walked swiftly to their fire. And what fine luck she had. Leliana had just finished her tale, and all eyes went to Morrigan.

"I... need food," she said tersely.

"Of course!" answered Aetheria, smiling. She handed her a skewer of roast boar. "And help yourself. That's a really big pig." She giggled to herself.

Morrigan almost giggled too. Almost. She was beginning to think that love was getting to Aetheria's head and causing silliness. Or maybe Alistair's idiocy was rubbing off on her. Either way, that news did not bode well for any of them.

She turned and was about to return to her separate little campsite when a voice stopped her. "Morrigan, you're welcome to stay here with us."

She turned back around. Aetheria looked at her with hopeful eyes. Morrigan _wanted_ to say yes - she really did. But what would Alistair say? Something extremely stupid, then she wouldn't be able to resist insulting him again (it was just too fun), and then she'd end up back where she was going in the first place: her own tent. Alone.

"Uh... 'tis kind of you to offer," she said, her voice unsure, "but no."

"Come on, Morrigan, I insist," said Aetheria. "We won't bother you if you really don't want to, but... we're a team."

Her words struck true. Morrigan narrowed her eyes in thought.

"Come sit here," she continued, patting a tree stump next to her. "Listen to Leliana's stories. I promise we won't pester you." At that, she elbowed Alistair in the ribs. He winced.

Morrigan had to chuckle at that as she considered. This was her chance to join them. If that was what she wanted - and it sure felt like that was what she wanted - then she should do it.

She sighed and relented and came over, sitting on the stump and nibbling at her supper while Leliana told the tale of Aveline, the female knight who bested male warriors and made them seem incompetent in comparison. She laughed at that. It reminded her of someone.

That night, Morrigan could have sworn that somewhere deep inside her, she was content. And so for the first time in a long time, she fell asleep happily.


	6. Where the Wild Elves Are

_**A/N:**__ AUGH it's SCHOOL! At least I write fanfics when I'm bored. That's a lot of opportunity XD_

**~o~O~o~**

**Chapter 6: Where the Wild Elves Are**

Alistair couldn't help but keep glancing over at Zevran and Aetheria. He was training her in the art of being an assassin, but something about the way he looked at her... Alistair shook his head. That couldn't be... could it?

"Alistair, the venison!" Wynne's sharp voice pierced through his thoughts.

"Oh!" He hurriedly flipped the slices of meat over on the metal tray on the fire. _Better not get distracted again_, he told himself, _otherwise supper is going to be ruined_. But he still couldn't get the gaze he gave her out of his head...

**~o~O~o~**

"Now, angle the dagger like so..." Zevran lifted her arm gently and ran his hand along her wrist, molding her figure into perfect assassin form. He stood back a little, analyzing her, then pushed her abdomen inward to bend her back slightly. He made sure to let his fingers linger there before standing back again. "Good," he said approvingly. "Now go through the motion yourself."

Aetheria gingerly backstabbed into an imaginary enemy. Zevran observed approvingly, his eyes drifting along her body. He couldn't help it, being the man that he was. But even though he was used to beautiful women and muscular men, she was... different. She seemed to possess a certain grace and elegance, even in striking down her enemies, the likes of which he'd never seen before. Femme fatale, it was called in Orlais. She was deadly, yet entrancing. It almost reminded him of–

_No_, he thought, feeling the sickening guilt rise in his stomach. _No thinking about this._ Now wasn't the time. And yet she seemed to have that same lethal charm, that same toxic allure...

"Is that right?" she asked suddenly, breaking him out of his reverie.

Zevran rubbed his chin. "You could try again," he said. "It needs to be smoother, lighter – not choppy. It takes practice, to say the least."

"And a desire to kill people for a living, isn't that right?"

He chuckled, feeling his spirits rise again. "Yes, yes, that's right! I'm surprised that you remember such a small comment considering what other things must be pressing your mind."

She smiled weakly. "I don't like to be reminded of it." Without another word she went through the motions again. Zevran could see that she was gaining more confidence with every strike. That was good. She'd need that confidence in battle.

His eyes were lured to her body again. He resisted the lustful temptation to start ravishing her, but he knew she was a rather reserved woman when it came to who she would sleep or not sleep with, and with such a woman, one needed to take one's time. Still, perhaps there was a way to slip past those defenses...

"Huh. Do you angle the stab like this? Or wait... uh, this way?" She stood there looking a bit confused.

He went up to her. "Let me see." She stabbed twice, and he took her arm again. "You don't want to hurt your arm stabbing from this side right here," he said. "It would be a waste for such a lovely figure as yours."

Her cheekbones became tinged with pink. "Really. Well thank you."

"You seem so stressed," added Zevran silkily, putting his hand on the small of her back. "Perhaps there is something I can do for you."

"Like what?" she asked, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.

"The only way I could explain it," he muttered, leaning closer to her face and grinning mischievously, "is to show you."

He could tell she was trying to look away, but she couldn't. That meant his little plan was working. He swiped his tongue along his lips in a sly fashion, watched her hypnotized eyes dart from his own eyes to his mouth and back.

"_Ahem_."

Aetheria jumped back hastily. "Oh, Alistair, uh..."

Alistair scowled. "It's time for supper."

"Heh, um, right!" Zevran scratched the back of his head. "Let's go, then!" He walked to the campfire quickly. He couldn't believe he'd almost forgotten about him. That made things complicated. To say the very least.

**~o~O~o~**

Before Aetheria could head over to the fire, Alistair put himself in her path. "Okay," he said, his voice serious. "Are you going to tell me what that was all about?"

She peered over his shoulder at the circle where her companions sat eating, then looked back at Alistair's concerned countenance. "It was... an accident," she answered uncertainly.

He put his hands on her shoulders and his face became solemn. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out, and he looked down. Aetheria placed her hand on his arm. "I'm sorry. I didn't m–"

He cut her off with a sudden kiss. When he finally withdrew his lips from hers, he looked her straight in the eye. "I love you," he muttered quietly. "And... I don't want to lose you."

She smiled. "You won't. I promise."

Alistair took her hand and led her to the fire to eat. As supper went on, he kept his eye on the elf. He wondered if trusting him at all was a good idea.

**~o~O~o~**

The old woman snorted disdainfully. Soren looked up at her from his position lying on the ground next to his mistress's tent. _Uh oh_. She didn't look happy. In fact, she looked pretty disgusted.

She tsked. "Oh, you are incredibly filthy. I ought to wash you down to your insides."

Soren whined. The woman tsked again and shook her head. "Let me go ask Aetheria if I can bathe you."

At the mention of the b-word, Soren whimpered. He actually liked being – what was it? – "filthy." It gave him a sense of power. And besides, he didn't want to smell like a sickeningly sweet flower-for-brains. He scratched behind his ear.

The woman frowned. "There'll be no ear-scratching when I'm done with you. No dirt or fleas or anything." She turned and began walking towards his mistress.

Soren barked loudly, and she jumped, startled. Good. He was stalling her. He bent back on his haunches, wagging his tail and tongue like every ounce of energy went into it. "Oh, no," she said. "There will be no playing or pouncing until I'm finished with you." She continued to walk to his mistress – more fast this time. But Soren knew he was faster.

"Hey!" The voice was quickly lost in the dust that rose after he bounded by. He ran – or maybe galloped – towards the pond, his tongue lolling about like a scarf in the wind. Or like a strip of uncooked bacon.

Finally, he reached the water's edge, where his mistress was busy washing her face. He nudged her with his shoulder hastily as the old woman caught up to him.

"Hello, Soren," greeted his mistress cheerily. "Who's a good mabari war hound?" He barked happily.

The old woman panted heavily when she finally reached them. "Your... dog..." she gasped.

"Wynne?" his mistress asked, sounding uncertain. "Are you all right?"

"Yes, yes, I'm fine. It's that foul-smelling hound of yours that's the problem."

Soren whined pitifully. His mistress reassuringly rubbed his head-fur. "He isn't _that_ dirty."

The old woman snorted again. "Ugh. Perhaps you are spending too much time with him. Or Alistair. Hmm. Come to think of it, he may be the problem..."

"How do you mean?" asked his mistress.

"I mean that you are spending too much time with them," the woman said, placing her hands on her hips. "You don't notice the smell? Not even a little bit?"

His mistress stared back at the old woman, one eyebrow raised in puzzlement, shaking her head. "I have _no_ idea what you're talking about."

The woman sighed. "Maker's breath! At least... just give your dog a wash, will you? And Alistair, too."

"You..." An amused smile formed on his mistress's lips. "You want me to _wash Alistair?_"

"Well, evidently he's not doing it himself, now, is he?" The woman sighed again and looked up into the star-sprinkled sky. Soren barked in conversation, and she jumped again. This was getting old.

"All right, I'll wash Soren," his mistress said. "But I'll have to think about that... other suggestion." She giggled. "Anyway, come here, boy. You do need a little wash."

At that, Soren whined. His mistress looked into his eyes sternly. "Now, now, Soren. We can't have you running about with dirt clinging to your fur and blood staining your coat, can we?"

Soren barked in protest. _Yes. Yes we can._

"And besides, your kaddis is all messed up. Now be a good dog and come here."

His ears flattened against his head as he contemplated his situation. It was either get washed now or get washed later. The prognosis didn't look appealing either way, but it might as well be now. _For the sake of good kaddis._

"And if you do come here, I'll give you an extra helping of steak..."

Soren shot up and practically jumped straight into the pond. As the water rushed around him and he heard his mistress laugh, he thought of the rewards.

_For the sake of good kaddis. And steak._


	7. In Fresh Air, Finally

_**A/N:** Party Banter is DONE! I'm glad I finally decided to put the FINISHED tags on this thing. Thanks to everyone for your support! ;)_

**~o~O~o~**

**Chapter 7: In Fresh Air, Finally**

She seemed a little more cheerful than usual. Leliana was quick to pick that up. Maybe it was the weather? The sky was clear, after all. But then again, it had rained last night, and the ground was wet and squishy and made disgusting noises when one stepped in a particularly moist part. So, knowing how much she disliked gross sounds (out of combat, anyway), that was probably out of the question.

Perhaps it was Alistair? Leliana knew he was very happy today as well, but that could have been because he spent the night with her _again_. And on the days after he did, she was _always_ in a good mood. So that thought was dismissed too.

She watched as Aetheria grinned and accepted a hot cup of tea from him, then laughed after he whispered into her ear. She smiled at that. Being with Alistair made her very, very happy, everyone knew that. But it was something else that made her so abnormally ecstatic. To her frustration it kept evading her; Leliana couldn't put her finger on it.

She was so lost in thought that she didn't notice the gruff, stocky man who came to stand in front of her. "Hey," he said. Then, realizing she hadn't heard, shouted, "Hey! _Hello?_"

Leliana jumped. The dwarf laughed heartily. "By the soiled pants of the paragons, you're really jumpy. Don't go runnin' off like some timid little nug whenever I say hi to ya."

She twisted her lips into a wry smile. It was better not to argue with him. "Uhm... okay." She smoothed her shirt. "Did you want something, Oghren?"

"Well, if there's anything I learned during my time as a slave to that crazy girl – " probably Branka, Leliana thought " – it's that there's a certain glow to women when they want you to know somethin', but instead of tellin' you, they just let you work it out on yer own."

Leliana glanced at him, confused. "What does this have to do with anything? You're not suggesting that_ I'm_ glowing, are you? Because I have nothing to hide."

"Oh, is that so?" Oghren grinned. "You sure are hidin' somethin' good under _there_." He winked.

"Ugh. I regret saying that." Leliana rubbed her forehead and continued. "So? What's this about?"

"It's the boss!" he whispered excitedly.

"The boss?" Leliana paused. "Oh! You mean Aethe-"

"Shhh!" A hairy hand clamped onto her mouth.

She felt like she was going to be sick. Quickly she pried his hand off. "Bleh!" she spat disgustedly. "Don't do that ever again. Maker knows if you've washed your hands at all in the last five days."

"Alright, alright!" The beserker raised his hands in innocence. "I was just tryin' to say that the boss has got somethin' she wants us to know, but she ain't gonna tell us. We gotta figure it out ourselves!"

Leliana couldn't help but grin at his enthusiasm. "That's silly. Why would she hide anything from us?"

"Because it's probably a good thing, see?" Oghren explained. "And she doesn't want to rub it in our faces. Or something like that."

She looked at him incredulously. He was actually being pretty rational. And, to boot, she was having an honest-to-goodness, no-drunkeness-involved conversation with him. _This is very strange_, she thought. "Well, how are we supposed to find out what it is?"

"Ehh, the boy'll probably tell ya," he answered. "He's as devoted to her as that dog." He snorted. "If he knows what's good for him, he'll stop before he gets caught in that trap."

"Trap? What trap?"

Oghren stared at her like she was insane. "What? You don't know?" He sighed and crossed his arms. "Beautiful women. That's the deadliest sodding trap in the world, right there." He spat on the ground before continuing. "Almost got caught in one myself. I was lucky to get out with all of my most valuable parts intact."

"I... think you're exaggerating that a bit," said Leliana.

"Well, don't tell me you've never snagged a poor guy, used him, then left him for dead. I mean, you've done that, right?"

Leliana laughed softly. "What in the world makes you think I'd do that?"

"Bloody nug-bits!" the beserker cried. "Do you listen to anything?"

"All right, Maker's breath!" she said, startled. "So you think I'm beautiful. And because of that you think I've used men. I suppose I have done that before."

"A-_ha!_" Oghren yelled, making her jump again. "I knew it! I knew you weren't always some innocent little goody-two-shoes. You were a _baaa-aaad_ girl!"

"There's a reason I joined the Chantry, you know," she replied slowly.

He stopped for a second, then began laughing harder. "A-ha! Ahahahahahaha! Temptress!" Then he appeared to skip away.

Leliana could only gaze after him, one eyebrow arched, her brain wallowing in utter confusion. She wasn't sure if he had been sober at all.

**~o~O~o~**

"She's... 'glowing,' you said?" repeated Alistair.

"That's not what_ I_ said," Leliana replied, furrowing her brow in exasperation. "That's what Oghren said."

"Yes, well..." He cleared his throat before continuing. "I haven't really noticed anything."

Leliana scoffed sarcastically. "Oh, of course you didn't notice a thing! You were too busy ogling her."

His ears turned a light pink. "I wouldn't say I was ogling her, exactly," he said, running a hand through his brown-blond hair.

"Maybe you don't realize it, Alistair," she giggled, "but everyone else sees you do just that every day."

He placed his burning face in his hands and sighed. "Oh, Maker's breath." He looked up. "You're not here to embarrass me, though, are you?"

She giggled again. "You're right. I was just wondering if you know why she's so happy."

Alistair chuckled. "I don't think you'll get a very good answer out of me. She's always happy when I'm with her." He paused for a moment. "Huh. Maybe that's why I didn't notice anything different."

"Are you sure she hasn't told you anything more personal that might make today special?" Leliana pressed.

"I'm sure," he answered. Then he added, "What day is it today, anyway?"

"I... well, come to think of it, I actually don't know," she admitted. "We have a calendar, don't we?"

"We do," the templar answered. "I think it's with the map."

She walked to her pack, which was full of marksman equipment, and from a side pocket, she pulled out a couple pieces of vellum and looked at each one. The first was their map, marked in many places and darkened with toned pigments to show the progress of the Blight. It had several markers displaying towns and villages they'd passed, and among those were Redcliffe, Lothering, and even Haven. She put that one in the back and looked at the next couple papers. They were crudely drawn maps of other areas they'd visited: the Brecilian Forest, the temple of the cult of Andraste, and a newer one of the thaigs in the treacherous Deep Roads. She shuddered, remembering the creatures and monsters they'd faced there. Shaking her head to clear her mind, she flipped past those and finally reached a packet of parchment that was their calendar. They didn't use it much, but it always useful to know when the holidays were.

She flipped to the current month. It was some time in Justinian, though she wasn't sure what day of the week it was.

As if reading her mind, Alistair said, "I believe it's Friday."

"And... aren't we right in the middle of Justinian?" she asked.

"I think so."

She went down the weeks of the calendar. A Friday in the middle of Justinian... the closest to that was the seventeenth. "I suppose today is the seventeenth of Justinian," she stated.

A small mark caught her eye. She leaned in closer to the calendar at the box labeled _17_. Then she stopped, and her eyes opened wide.

"Leliana?" Alistair walked up to her quickly and nudged her shoulder. "Leliana? What is it?" Her face was frozen; she looked completely surprised as she stared at the calendar. He took it from her gently and inspected at the date.

_17_, the box read. Then, inked in much smaller, scrawled font, _Aetheria's birthday!_ followed by a smiley face.

"Andraste's grace," breathed Leliana. "I can't believe it." She gazed up at him with big, azure eyes. "It's her birthday!"

"That's... a little embarrassing," said Alistair slowly. "I can't believe I didn't know that."

They stood there for a while longer, reading the tiny box again and again._ Aetheria's birthday!_

Suddenly Leliana sprang up. "Oooh, this is great! We need to tell everyone else and set up a surprise party!"

"How?" he asked. "It's a bit late to start planning, don't you think?"

"We'll find a way," she said. "We must! This is important!"

"So is the Blight," he muttered.

She laughed abruptly. "Oh, come on! We almost never have any reason to do stuff like this, and now that we do, don't you want to take advantage of it?" He nodded in agreement as she continued. "And besides, everyone loves Aetheria. You, me, Soren, Zevran, Wynne, even Sten and Morrigan! And I'm sure Oghren will come to love her, too. Everyone will help because it's for her!" She squealed excitedly. "This will be the best mid-Blight party _ever_!"

Alistair chuckled. "All right, all right! But how are we going to tell everyone without her knowing that we know?"

"Just leave that to me," she said, winking. "While I do that, I need you to find a cake."

"What the – a cake?" He glanced around. "And how exactly am I supposed to do that?"

"Use that little brain of yours!" she replied, grinning and patting his head. "I know you have one. Somewhere in there."

As she ran off to tell the others, Alistair thought, _Damn. She's starting to sound like Morrigan._

**~o~O~o~**

Leliana looked around hurriedly. There was only Zevran left to tell, and he was nowhere to be found.

She turned her gaze to the head of the group, where Aetheria was leading them away from Orzammar. Leliana knew they wouldn't be able to reach Redcliffe or any other nearby settlement in just one day, especially at this pace, so getting supplies for a party there was out of the question. She was also worried about the cake. How in Thedas were they supposed to procure a cake out here, in the middle of nowhere?

She glanced at Alistair. He was talking to the qunari; about what, she couldn't guess. But the biggest priority was their lives, followed by finding Zevran and telling him it was their leader's birthday.

Finally she spotted him stalking in the trees, ready to strike from stealth at a moment's notice if anything attacked their group. She looked around again to make sure Aetheria was too preoccupied speaking with Wynne (she had given the older mage that task) and joined the Antivan in the shadows of the forest.

"Hello, Zevran," she greeted.

"Ahh," he said, smirking. "So, you have finally decided that your desires are too much?"

"Err... no."

"That's too bad. Ah well. A man can dream." He chuckled. "So, if that is not what you are here for, surely you are here for something else, no?"

Leliana whispered, "Today is the seventeenth of Justinian, correct?"

"Yes," he answered. "Why are we whispering?"

"Today is also Aetheria's birthday!"

The elf chuckled again. "I suspected as much. What with the running around and asking about cake."

"Alistair already spoke to you?" she asked.

"Yes," he replied, "and he gave me strict guidelines for my gift, as well."

"Oh, Maker's mercy!" Leliana nearly cried out. "I forgot all about gifts!"

"You shouldn't worry, my friend," he said comfortingly. "I'm sure a lovely song will suffice. Provided it's you who performs. You do have a beautiful voice."

She giggled. "Thank you. Anyway, I'm wondering how we're going to get a cake out here..."

**~o~O~o~**

Alistair stared hopefully into the giant's violet eyes. He didn't appear to have heard anything.

"Uhh... Sten?" he said again. "Remember that time you had cookies? Well, I know this is kind of far-fetched – well, really far-fetched, if you think about it – but Leliana's told you it's Aetheria's birthday, right? So, um, do you happen to... have any, you know, baked goods or something on you? Preferrably a cake of some sort?"

Sten stared straight forward, his line of sight unfaltering, his mouth twitching the slightest bit. Alistair sighed. Sometimes, speaking to him was like talking to a statue. He looked ahead at Wynne, who was distracting Aetheria, and hoped that maybe she was a skilled baker.

Before he knew it, there was a _cake_. Right there, in Sten's hand. "Wh-where'd that come from?" Alistair sputtered.

"I did have a cake," replied the qunari.

"I mean, I didn't think you heard me... but anyway, where'd you get that?"

Sten frowned. "Do you want the cake or not?"

**~o~O~o~**

"Are you feeling all right?" Alistair asked when he caught up to her.

"Hmm?" Aetheria smiled. "Yes, I'm fine. Just a little tired from walking all day."

"You are?" He chuckled. "But we do that every day. You must be eating too much." Then, as if to emphasize his point, he poked her stomach.

She yelped. "Hey! Oh, you," she mused adoringly, ruffling his hair. "Take _that!_"

"Oh, it's on!" Alistair grinned and pushed her with his shoulder playfully.

She responded by nipping his nose. "Ha!" she smirked triumphantly. "I have your nose!"

He laughed. "Hey, I'm not that dumb. That doesn't work on me."

"It works on my neph... worked... on my nephew..." She trailed off and sadness worked its way onto her face.

"Aww. Hey, don't be sad. Today's a good day."

"It is, I guess," she answered sullenly. "Or it was supposed to be." She looked at him with unmistakable perception in her eyes. "Why are we going for a walk, anyway? I already asked you and you didn't answer me."

"I _did_ answer you," Alistair said, his mind frantically trying to think up of ways to keep stalling her.

"Oh? How so?"

"I... said you looked like you needed a walk," he said quickly. Then he mentally slapped himself in the face.

She scoffed. "You're a terrible liar. You know that?" She began marching back to camp.

"N-no, wait," stammered Alistair, attempting to grip her shoulder but missing as she nimbly dodged his grasp. "It's not – well, I mean – uh, the camp – no! I mean, you know..." Too late. They had reached the clearing.

"_SURPRISE!_"

The chorus of voices stretched from excited to blunt and made for an amusing scene. Leliana was grinning the widest grin he'd seen from her, and Oghren stood nearby with a small cake in his hands. Soren barked and jumped up and down crazily, while Sten waited standing next to him. Alistair wasn't sure if he was smiling at all. But it sort of seemed like it. He turned and faced Aetheria along with the rest of the group. She looked completely taken off guard.

"This..." she started. "This... is for me?"

"Of course," said Alistair. "Happy birthday."

She blinked. "How did you find out?"

"The better question, dear Warden, is why did you not tell us?" Zevran said.

"Indeed," added Morrigan. "Unless you were thinking that we would laugh in your face and deny you any sort of celebration whatsoever. Which I might have done, if you were Alistair."

"Well, lucky her, then," muttered Alistair.

"We happened to look at the calendar," Leliana explained. "And I suppose we should thank Oghren."

"Meh, I didn't do nothin'," the dwarf replied.

"But of course you did," she said. "You were the one who suggested she was hiding something in the first place."

"_Hidin'_ something?" Oghren shrugged. "Oh, did I say that?"

"Before this conversation gets out of hand," Aetheria interrupted, "just... thank you, all of you. You're very thoughtful and kind to do this for me."

"It was no trouble at all," said Wynne, smiling gently. "We were happy to."

A small silence descended upon them, until finally Soren barked and Sten spoke. "Can we have cake now?"

**~o~O~o~**

"Alistair, come here."

Alistair looked up quickly. Aetheria was motioning him over, so he got up and walked towards her. "Yes, my dear?" he asked. "What is it?"

She smiled. "Just follow me. Okay?"

"Um. Okay." She led the way down a dirt path to the water's edge and stopped there. "What's this about?" he asked, coming to stand beside her.

"I need you to go in there," she said, pointing at the pond.

He grinned. "Is there some sort of scary pond monster in there you need me to take care of?"

"No, silly!" She laughed awkwardly. "I just need you to take off your clothes and get in the water."

"But..." He felt his face become hot. "Erm, may I ask what you're planning to do?"

"You might not do it if I told you," she said, stifling a giggle.

"Yes, but you know, it's a little unsettling for me to... not wear anything... in the presence of such a formidable woman."

"You have before," she pointed out.

Alistair smirked. "But that time _you_ weren't wearing anything either."

She sighed as her cheeks grew pink. "Fine. Wynne told me to... wash you."

"Wynne wants you to _wash me?_" he repeated incredulously.

"Yes," she answered, "because apparently you're not doing a good enough job yourself. Now, take off your clothes and go into the water."

"Well, you'll… you know, you'll at least… come with me, right?" he asked hopefully.

She thought for a moment. "Sure," she said finally. "But I'm in charge."

"Wow. I'm not even leading and I still have to lose my pants."

**~o~O~o~**

"_Ow!_"

"What?"

"You got soap in my eyes."

"I'm going to get soap in your hair."

"Woah, woah, what? My hair is fine! And my eyes still sting."

A splash. Then, "There! Now hold still..."

"Gah! Not my haaaaaaiirr..."

"Just let me wash you already!"

"I don't think Wynne wanted you to be this pushy."

"Oh, pushy, am I?"

"No – wait! I didn't mean it lik–"

More splashing. Then a small shriek. "Hey! Stop–" followed by some gurgling and even more splashing.

Wynne chuckled. "From the sound of it, I think they're doing just fine. I'm surprised she even decided to take my advice to heart."

Soren cocked his head at her.

"You think something bad is going to happen? I told you they'd be all right," said the mage. "And now hopefully the smell will be gone..."

Soren whined.

"Oh, don't do that," Wynne snapped. "I know you had something to do with it. What with all the grime and muck on your fur. It was bad enough with just Alistair."

The mabari barked loudly and stood up.

"Shhh!" she whispered fiercely. "Get down! You don't want them to see us, do you?"

The hound blinked, glanced around, then settled into the brush once again.

"I don't know why you wanted me to come in the first place," muttered Wynne, hearing the sounds of laughter and water over the small rise. "They're doing just fine to me. No one's... drowning or anything like that. And frankly, I don't think we should be spying on them."

"Why not?"

Wynne jumped and spun around. There, crouched on a rock, was Zevran. He smirked. "Did I scare you?"

She shook her head. "Never mind that. Why are you here? And how did you get here so... quietly?"

"If you can't remember, I'm an assassin. Stealth is one of my specialties. And," he added, settling in belly-down next to Wynne, "I was just wondering where everyone was. And it just so happens that I have found you here with the dog! And Aetheria and Alistair are over there..." His eyes drifted away, lost in thought. Or fantasy…?

"Ugh!" said Wynne exasperatedly. "Don't – just stop thinking about that. We shouldn't spy on them because – well, they're bathing, for one, and two, they're lovers and they have no clothes on. What else are they going to do?"

"Hmm, I don't know," said Zevran mischievously. "Maybe I should watch them and see."

She slapped her forehead. "Maker's breath! You're joking. Please be joking."

"Oh, I'm not sure about that," replied the elven assassin. "There are many things I have yet to learn about the art of love."

"Egad!" Wynne said firmly, getting up and dusting off her robes. "That's enough! This conversation is over. I am leaving now. Otherwise I may not be able to resist strangling you." She eyed Zevran suspiciously. "Don't try anything. Better yet, just leave them alone." And without waiting for a response, she turned and walked back to camp.

"Hmmm," Zevran mumbled, listening to Aetheria and Alistair's laughter. "Do you think we should leave them be?" he asked Soren.

The dog blinked at him, as if to say, _Uh, duh. The answer should be clear enough._

"I see," he said. "Oh, look at me. I'm talking to a dog! This country is really rubbing off on me." He sighed a little. "I wonder if you understand exactly what's going on here."

Soren whined a little.

"Ooooh," the elf muttered, looking over the rise. "Now I really do wonder if you have any idea what they're doing." He chuckled. "It's really quite intense..."

A tug at his foot managed to draw his eyes away from the bathing couple. He turned back.

Soren stood there, one genuine Antivan boot in his mouth, his eyes glittering with mischief. "Oh, so that's how it's going to be," Zevran said, narrowing his eyes. "I suggest you give me back my boot, unless you'd like to be k–"

The mabari sped off. Zevran leapt up, his love for his boots overruling his love of spying on people, and ran after him. He only spared one last glance behind him at the pool where all the splashing had stopped long before.

**~o~O~o~**

Alistair felt her draw back for a moment, so he opened his eyes and looked down at her. She had her eyes locked on a specific part of brush. "What is it?" he asked, looking back at where she was staring.

"Did you... hear something? Over there?"

He put his hand on her neck. "Nothing I'd care about right now," he whispered, bringing her face closer and covering it with kisses. She slid her arms around him and sighed contentedly.

"One more thing," he said.

She giggled. "What?"

"Happy birthday."

Aetheria smiled warmly and pulled him into her embrace.


End file.
